Bailey Prete ’20 graduated from Boston College in 2024 with a degree in communication and media studies. That summer she found herself working freelance on the Paris Olympic Games for NBCUniversal Studios in Stamford, Conn., with 16-hour days fueled by coffee and adrenaline.  

Now she can see the product of that hard work: a Sports Emmy that Bailey and many other team members won for Outstanding Live Special in a Championship Event. The statuette from the May awards is displayed with pride at her parents’ house. 

“My parents have always been my biggest supporters and are the reason I have achieved everything in my life; so, we have joint custody of the Emmy,” Bailey said by email recently. “They have always encouraged me to pursue my dreams and always emphasized a good education but most importantly being a good person. They gave me the opportunity to attend Loomis and rigorous colleges to set me up for success for the rest of my life, but it wasn’t just that. My parents are the hardest working, most loving, and caring people. I feel so honored to be a Prete.” 

Bailey graduated from Loomis the year COVID-19 shut down schools in March. Once again, her family was there for her.    

“One of the things I looked forward to most at Loomis was senior spring,” she said. “After working so hard throughout my time at Loomis, to be able to relish in my accomplishments and time there was a reward I always saw as the light at the end of the exciting, intense, busy tunnel. When COVID hit, it was very difficult to not be able to experience all the wonderful senior activities that Loomis has to offer. My family made my graduation extremely special. My brother Jack, who is a fellow Pelican ’18, was the Commencement speaker at my makeshift at-home ceremony, and my whole family gave speeches. It was so nice to have such a supportive family during that time.” 

Bailey is quick to point out that networking is crucial to gaining an opportunity in her chosen field. 

“I am definitely a people person and want to learn as much as possible from those around me,” Bailey said. “Throughout my time at Loomis, Bowdoin College, and Boston College (where I transferred to my junior year), I worked hard to form meaningful connections at my internships, shadow opportunities, and with school alumni.”  

She had internships at Sony Pictures and FOX Sports and worked part-time at NESN when she attended Boston College. She also started her own podcast, “The Daily Bailey.” 

And now, only five years removed from high school, Bailey has a Sports Emmy. She had made a connection with a sports producer for the 2024 Olympics and landed the freelance role for the Paris Games. During the Olympics, she provided research and wrote copy for on-air talent, and on the technical side she cut clips, logged footage, and assisted in the production booths. She was operating on Paris time at the NBC studios, “waking up at midnight and ending the day around 4 p.m. every day for about three weeks.” 

Networking is part of the story, but so, too, is initiative and drive.  

“As a lifelong athlete, I always loved everything sports,” Bailey said. “I played soccer, basketball, field hockey, tennis, ran track and cross country, swam, and skied because my family is definitely a sports family. I also had a passion for the arts, singing, dancing, acting, and writing poetry. I knew I always wanted to follow my passion, and growing up I quickly learned I really enjoy learning about what makes people tick and truly listening to others and their stories. Sports media is the perfect marriage of my two loves: creative connection and sports.” 

Bailey came to LC from Avon, Conn., and was a field hockey and tennis captain for the Pelicans. She played both sports at Bowdoin before transferring to Boston College, where she played club field hockey on a team that finished second nationally and immersed herself in the sports media world. 

Bailley said that her Loomis Chaffee days “shaped the way I look at the world and thrive in team environments.” 

“I loved sitting in a classroom with peers from completely different backgrounds,” she continued. “The diversity at Loomis allowed me to not only learn about various perspectives, but also taught me how to listen and understand people. I absolutely loved the discussion-based classes that allowed me to exercise my passion for creative connection and collaboration. Similarly, one of my favorite memories from Loomis was our field hockey summer trip to Amsterdam, where we competed and trained with the highest level of players in the field hockey capital of the world. I made lifelong friends on the field hockey and tennis teams, and to be able to explore and learn about the world with them while doing what we all love was such an incredible experience.” 

For Bailey, it is on to the next experience in the sports media world. In July she started as a full-time NFL broadcast associate, working with the league's broadcast partners “to ensure broadcasts meet league protocol standards.”